The State government has estimated the losses suffered from cyclone Hudhud at Rs. 21,908 crore and requested the visiting Central team to consider the nature’s fury as severe and recommend adequate Central assistance accordingly.
In a memorandum submitted to the Central team that toured Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, and East Godavari districts, the government described the losses as unprecedented and sought release of Rs. 9,857 crore as immediate assistance to take up repairs and restoration of the damaged assets.
Four Ministers -- Prathipati Pulla Rao, Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, Ganta Srinivasa Rao and K. Atchannaidu -- met the Central team headed by K. K. Pathak and submitted the memorandum here on Friday.
They told media persons later that the government was planning to give incentives to help industries in the region and modalities were being worked out.
There was a delay in taking up repair works as the government was waiting for the Central team’s visit to show the extent of damage, Mr. Atchannaidu said and added that the government would release the amount to the affected persons immediately without waiting for release of funds from the Centre. The government had spent Rs. 700 crore on relief and rehabilitation, including Rs. 400 crore received from Centre, he said.
The government was planning to build cyclone resilient homes in villages five km from the coast to help the villagers. The process of identifying such habitations would be taken up and the proposal grounded at the earliest. However, at present the government would release the amount directly to the beneficiaries for taking up repairs, he said.
